Not A (Thirty) Second Chance

(I work at an organic winery. Our hours are ten am to six pm every single day, Monday through Sunday. It is 5:45, and I am alone in the shop. The phone rings.)

Me: “Hello, and thank you for calling [Wine Shop]. This is [My Name]; how can I help?”

Female Customer: “Hi, we want to come do a tasting. What time are you open until?”

Me: “Unfortunately, we close in 15 minutes, at 6:00 pm.”

Male Customer: “Okay, we are just leaving now. If we show up two minutes before you close, do you have to stay open?”

Me: *deep breath* “Yes, if you are here before six pm then I will stay open.”

(I couldn’t believe he had asked that, and awaited their arrival. 5:58 came and went, and soon it was six, so I locked the doors. Not even 30 seconds later, the doors rattled as someone tried to open them. Never had I been so happy for lateness.)